Archive for the ‘Home Decor’ Category

Wine is a very rewarding drink – not only because of the oomph scene it creates on the occasion, but also because the empty bottles serve many purposes after the party (and I am not talking about bottle fights). A collage of these empty bottles can lighten up your mantel. Also, a few simple steps can help you transform this empty bottle into a hurricane lamp, useful for lighting as well as warming purpose. First, you need to clean the wine bottle thoroughly, using a good soap detergent.

You do not want any residue at the bottom. Once done, drill a metal tube (about one fourth of an inch in diameter) through the cork. This will serve as the wick holder. Next, insert the wick. Use oil in water emulsion as a fuel. The water base prevents the oil from evaporating into the air. You can use a chimney to cover the top of the bottle.

When it comes to designing your house, the first thing that comes to mind is the big hole the project will drill in your already tight budget. From raw materials to labor cost – money finds its own way to slip away, wanting you to postpone that dream decor project. However, it is nice to know that there are ways in which you can achieve your desired output at an astoundingly lower budget.

First, make a note of what your room is all about and what you want to transform it into. Do the basic measurements so that you have a concrete plan to work upon. Did you know that a couple of ornamental plants can do the magic similar to chic artifacts? Instead of going in for fancy cabinets, use simple box cabinets and give them a manual touch over. You can use cheap yet sober looking lamps to dimly lighten up the space.

Children are very specific about their wants – quite unlike the adults who are bound to get confused on the way through. Let it be hobbies, candies or opinions about their teachers – kids will never listen to a second opinion. In such a case, the best we can do is to assist their hobbies by creating an environment which will reflect or nurture them. Though the recent fishing regulations have brought down the fun in a ‘Dad and son’ fishing day out, you can still create a similar environment in your child’s bedroom.

Use a color scheme (and theme) based upon a local lake or sea (full of coral, sea bed and so on). The furniture can look like something out of a fairy tale fishing cabin. You can use curtains, pillow covers and sheets which will have colorful fish prints over them. You can add pictures of famous fishermen.

With endless ways and locations (in your house) to flaunt your creativity, one is bound to get confused as to where to begin. One obvious location is the mantle. Though people prefer having mantles near the eye’s level, there are some households which secure the mantle place at a higher position. Such tall mantles often pose a problem from the decor point of view. Here are a few tips to make a tall mantle a well looked-at place.

Keep decorative objects which will not need frequent dusting, when it comes to taller places. You can assemble a set of decorative candles or wax figures. Trophies are another option to be thought upon (though it is one of the most traditional ones). You can even put up a series of elegant pictures or even paintings. You can use S hooks for tilting them forward, so as to get a good view.

A grate refers to a network of bars (theoretically) used in various combinations so as to create a partition. This kind of structure is fitted on windows or a fire place. Though the olden iron grates were usually uniformly placed series of iron bars, they are nowadays given trendy or classy shapes to add up to their visual appeal. If you wish to design a grate for your own house, you might want to think about putting in a classy theme (like a Mediterranean on) on the grate to give it that extra score.

Make sure that you choose a design solely based on a Mediterranean background – floral and ornamental designs embedded and blended beautifully with each other. The structure can show the influences of the European culture. You can purchase the raw iron from the flea or salvage markets. You can flaunt these grates at your fire place or window.

Surrounded by a thousand routine commitments, one often forgets the one he owes to his house, ignoring its maintenance in a good condition. Once in a while, people wake up to find their homes in distress and call in for a remodeling. A bedroom, as compared to others, is often the most disturbed room, owing to the less amount of traffic, hence the ignorance to its neat upkeep. Of the many elements, the dressing table needs thorough attention, and a few steps can actually brighten it out.

You can use doilies to keep the dresser top look appealing. These doilies also protect the dresser top covered beneath from dust and scratches. You can use designer candles (in a group of 3 or 4) or elegant picture frames (possible miniature ones) to make the top look chic. Another option would be to flaunt your collection of ethnic jewels or small perfume bottles.

After a long and tiresome day at their respective workplaces, it is but understood if a couple looks ahead to a quiet romantic evening. Soft instrumental music lightening the mood against the lazy background of a well set dinner table and the couple sipping exquisite wine beneath the classy chandelier – sounds wonderful, does it not? Well, there are a couple of places in your house, which when adorned by a stylish chandelier, can turn every moment into a romantic milestone. Also, you need to buy those expensive chandeliers the design houses flaunt inside the glass windows – you can actually purchase a simple one at a flea market and enhance its appeal by various methods.

The living room is the most common stage for a chandelier, owing to the numerous family meetings happening here. However, you can also install the same in your bedroom, dining room & even the bathroom.

Everybody likes to live king size – after all, you have earned that living. So why not actually transform your living space to a miniature old world castle. Not only can you yourself enjoy the royal welcome everyday you come home, but you can also flaunt your home in front of your neighbors, proudly announcing ‘mi casa o su casa’. A couple of guidelines can help make your place look like a real castle, cherishing the good old regal days.

First, choose a good color and pattern for your walls & flooring. Make sure they look stony enough to be accounted as a castle. Though the stony appearance may look dull, once filled with the contents, it will actually make the space look larger (not to forget the royal blood line). If you can, install large wooden or iron doors. Arrange some good rugs on the floor. A good castle will also need a good fireplace.

When you are looking for home decor solutions for your house, you can get at least a thousand in a few hours, all thanks to the various media and resources facilitating them. Any kind of retouches are possible when you have your own place. However, the scenario changes drastically when you have a rented apartment which already has white walls (and a big legal document which prevents you to tamper it). In such a case, one often runs out of options so as to decorate the room, often restricted to simply add a few decorative mantelpieces or picture frames. You would be happy to note that a white background can actually work as an appealing canvas for your home decor project.

Decide upon the theme you seek from your project. You can go for a sunny coastal theme, using drapes & artifacts made of shells & pebbles. A retro theme will also go good.

Have you ever seen the vintage beds they flaunt on the fashion post cards or posters? Those long wavy nets dropping from the ceiling, covering the edges of the bed, creating an appealing platform for the model over it? Though the concept looks a bit farfetched for your house, it is, in fact, a very simple project. Go ahead; invest some hours & a few yards of netting to create the picture bed just like the poster showed.

The support should be camouflaged to look like the rest of the wall. Use a curtain rod & brackets to help hang the netting from the ceiling. Make sure wavy drapes are created and secured in place (you can use staple pins for the purpose). Use good looking wires for the wrapping purpose and make sure that every bed post is uniformly wrapped with the netting. You can enhance the look using floral elements.